There are advantages to delivering medications via the oral mucosa and drug formulation, delivery and dispensing technology for such medications represents an area of active research. Controlled drug delivery systems offer numerous advantages as compared to current drug delivery systems, which include controlled delivery, improved safety, improved patient compliance and convenience.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,302, issued May 16, 2006 and US Patent Publication No. 20030052135 (Conley; Avancen), entitled “Patient controlled timed oral medication drug dispensing device”, describe an oral medication delivery device for administration of an as-needed medication, where the device has programmed drug accessibility with lock-out.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,343, issued May 22, 2001 (Papp; Papp Enterprises, LLC), entitled “Automated portable medication radial dispensing apparatus and method”, describes a portable medication cartridge that allows for both manual and automated (microprocessor controlled) dispensing of tablets or capsules of virtually all sizes through a radial dispensing apparatus, where the medication is sequentially advanced and allowed to radically dispense through an open side of the tablet tray from the medication cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,651 discloses a medication dispensing system including a relatively small, microprocessor-controlled machine that assists in the accurate execution of a physician-prescribed medication regimen. The machine can be used as a stand-alone unit, or can be integrated into a centrally-controlled pharmaceutical network.
The relevant art does not describe a dispensing device that provides a means for delivery of a dosage form to the oral mucosa where the device facilitates proper placement of the medication and the dosage form is protected from saliva.
Although currently available drug dispensing devices have been effective in the administration of a variety of types of drugs, there remains a need for improved devices for administration of drugs to the oral mucosa wherein the device can be used multiple times while preserving the integrity of the drug stored within. There is also a need for a device that can be use to self administer such dosage forms wherein the device provides for safe and controlled delivery.
There is, therefore, substantial interest in the development of improved devices and systems for drug delivery to the oral mucosa in both the hospital and out-patient settings.